Getting loft insulation is at the top of my to-do list

Well Dave, if you have thermostatically controlled heating the house won’t feel any different because soon as you reach the set temperature the heating goes off. But because you are better insulated you should be buying less gas, or whatever, to maintain that set temperature.
Check you bills (units rather than price, price seems to be forever going up)
As for the tanks in the loft, you realise you’re supposed to not insulate beneath them? That way some of the warmth in the house can escape through the ceiling to prevent any water freezing in the tank, but do remember to insulate all the pipework, both hot and cold.
If you do this there will be no need to leave the hatch open, or therfore to have that arctic cold air downward blast through the hatch undoing all your good insulating work
You can be both warm and dry, if you do it right.

Hi Sim1234 – I think, if anything, the opposite is true. Having a smart meter would give someone a much more immediate and real indication of how much was being spent on ‘heating the sky’ (I like that phrase =). By getting a detailed breakdown of the energy they’re using, and how much it is costing them on a daily basis, more people might be able to work out the cost-benefit of having insulation. At the moment people know it’ll save them money, but do they really know how much? It’s hard to tell, especially given that tariffs are so complex.

I do think you’re right, though, that people will need more information about energy saving measures. Once they start thinking about energy consumption and considering where best to invest to make their property greener, there’ll be a real call for decent information and advice about how to e.g. insulate your home to get the most for your money.

But the smart meter ‘no selling’ challenge isn’t about preventing people from getting this information – it’s about preventing energy companies from giving you what amounts to a compulsory sales chat during a home visit you may not even want. Energy companies sending you info or leaving a leaflet after your installation? Fine. Companies asking you if you’d like an energy consultation? Fine. Sending salesmen into your house when you’re expecting an installer and making you listen to a spiel you didn’t ask for? Definitely not fine. Given that our research shows 93% of people say they wouldn’t let an energy company salesperson into their home, we think it’s cheeky to send them in without warning customers, or asking for permission.

That’s a bit unfair, Sim – we all have good intentions but not all of us get round to it. I see your point that someone on the energy team is pretty well informed about the benefits of insulation, but the fact remains that we’re all human beings with many different competing pressures.

I also have to disagree on your comment that ‘most consumers will not act on their own initiative.’ At Which? we assume they do, which is why we provide information and advice for people looking for products! I definitely wouldn’t agree that consumers need in-home salespeople to ‘help’ them make the right decision – on the contrary, I think a much more informed and considered opinion is likely to be made by looking at the internet, and independent sources of information. I’d never say that products ‘need to be sold’ to consumers who don’t understand what their benefits might be.

I don’t think you are correct Peter in blaming the insulation for any overheating problem. In fact if you look at earlier comments you will see someone saying the precise opposite.

The problem I am sure is a lack of ventilation and the serious amount of solar gain from sunshine which has become prevalent with larger and larger windows being fitted. In early spring with my handheld infra-red thermometer [around £14] I have walls inside which the sun has raised to temperatures in the 20’s. Some of my windows are 6X8 feet so very large areas are being heated.

In Australia they understand solar gain very well and market solar defeating blinds. In Europe they use shutters and awnings to prevent heat build-up.

To compound the problem a lot of UK houses are being built to minimise draughts from the building and we as a race are not very good at opening windows in the early morning to get fresh cool air each day into the house. This cooler air and shading rooms with curtains and blinds may make a considerable difference.

Insulation cannot make your house overheat. It’s a physical impossibility – the laws of thermodynamics don’t allow it. All insulation does is reduce heat loss from the house. There are reasons who you might assume the house is overheating, but they’re nothing whatsoever to do with the insulation.

Simple strategy for keeping your house (relatively) cool in very hot weather:

1 Keep the upstairs (and any safe downstairs) windows open overnight.
2. Keep an eye on the inside and outside temperatures. When the temperature outside is within one degree of the inside temperature close all the windows.
3. Work out which area of the house gets the most sunlight and lock that off (if you can) during the hot hours.
4. Open all the windows when the outside temperature drops below the inside.
5. Grab a large bottle of whiskey and lie in the shade outside.

When the house gets too hot in the summer we open some windows. In the Middle East, old houses without air conditioning have a central roof tower that creates a cooling air flow.